Daughter of Snape
by musiclicious
Summary: ABANDONED. AU since HBP. Seventeen years ago, Severus Snape was in love. Now his unknown daughter, Lia, is coming to Hogwarts. She comes with extraordinary powers and a secret mission to discover the secret behind her mother's murder. OC pairing
1. Chapter 1: Lia Snape

**Disclaimer: Everything is J.K.'s (except Cornelia Rosebury Snape!)**

A/N: An explanation of Lia's special abilities are included at the end of the chapter

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Albus Dumbledore hummed contentedly to himself one fine morning a month before the start of term. For once, he felt as though his worries were completely lifted from his chest. Harry Potter had another run-in with Lord Voldemort at the end of sixth year. This time, the Dark Lord was truly dead and gone, with most of his Death Eaters thrown in Azkaban. A few had been able to buy their way out of prison, of course, which worried him slightly. Nonetheless, he could not deny that the atmosphere was very much uplifted. Smiling benignly, he opened a thank you package from the Ministry and absently popped one of its contents, an Every Flavor Bean, into his mouth. Ten seconds later, he grimaced and choked. Alas! Pig fart!

A gentle hoot interrupted his sputters. Dumbledore looked up to see a beautiful female owl with caramel-colored feathers. It obviously wasn't a native. Curiously, he unrolled the parchment she was carrying and read:

_Dear Albus Dumbledore:_

_I send my owl Tatiana with unfortunate tidings. My mother, Camilla Rosebury, was murdered last night. Her will states that I be enrolled in Hogwarts as a seventh year, and that I reunite with my father. I have never met him before; his name is Severus Snape. I know all the details of his role in the war. Is it possible for me to meet him sometime? Thank you, and please reply as soon as it is convenient._

_Sincerely,_

_Cornelia Rosebury Snape_

Dumbledore put the letter down with a deep sigh. He remembered Camilla Rosebury very well. A mischievous and stunning girl with curly brown hair and devastating blue eyes, she was one of Lily Evans's closest friends as well as a constant companion of the Marauders. She and Sirius were a couple during fifth and sixth years, infamously known for being the most troublemaking couple ever, until surprisingly, she went out with Severus Snape her seventh year. They were married secretly not long after graduation and Camilla was sent off to America for safety reasons. She and Severus hadn't been in contact for the past seventeen years in fear of their letters being intercepted. Dumbledore couldn't recall Severus ever mentioning anything about a daughter, though. Eyes suddenly twinkling mischievously, Dumbledore reached for more parchment to compose a reply to Cornelia Snape.

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Lia Snape was sitting idly by the window when she noticed the solicitor striding up the path with an air of great importance.

"Oh dear," she groaned.

The solicitor was in charge of her mother's will. He was a pompous, conceited Muggle who basked in his self-importance and gave Lia covert looks that had chills running down her spine.

"Miss Snape," came a prim voice from the other side of the door. "I cannot for the life of me find a simple _doorbell_. Would you kindly open the door for me?"

Lia stifled a giggle. Her mother's unconventional ways always had the poor solicitor going home in a headache.

"Good day, Mr. Finckleberger," she said, formally, as she opened the door.

"Ah, my dear Cornelia," the solicitor exclaimed, giving her the once-over.

Lia very much wanted to throw a punch when she heard her full name. Instead, she whipped her wand out her back pocket and murmured something discreetly.

"Ah, yes, well," the solicitor stuttered, suddenly uncomfortable. "Ah, you see, I thought it might be, well, in your best interest if I were to look the house over for, ah, certain necessities before it goes up for sale. We both know your late mother's strange quirks, ah…"

His voice trailed off as he caught sight of the look on Lia's face.

"She was a remarkable woman, really!" he added, hastily. "Just a bit…well…I suppose I could have a look around?"

He squirmed uncomfortably. Lia wanted to slam the door in his face, but a thought came over her.

"Why of _course_, my dear Mr. Finckleberger," she smirked, sweetly. "I'm sure this will be an unforgettable tour."

The solicitor beamed brightly and strode towards the kitchen, attempting to scratch his groin discreetly.

"Just checking for the usual appliances," he called.

Still smirking, Lia hurried after him and waved her wand towards the kitchen.

"Good _heavens_!" he exclaimed, jumping almost a mile into the air at the sight of the pots and pans scrubbing themselves lazily.

"Just a new form of technology, sir," Lia explained, sweetly.

The frying pan stuck a soap-studded tongue out at the solicitor and blew a raspberry.

"Oh, now, that was entirely inappropriate!" he said, swelling indignantly and scratching his groin again.

The water bucket in the corner heard and flew up to pour its contents over the solicitor.

"Oh…oh…Miss Snape!" he roared, dancing on the spot with his tummy jiggling comically, spotless suit now soaked.

"Oh, you see, they are a tad bit sensitive," said Lia, feigning chagrin.

"A tad…sensitive!" he roared again.

Tatiana the owl chose that moment to fly in with a letter attached to her leg. She hooted amusedly as she flew over the solicitor and dumped a good-sized stream on his head. Lia couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

Ten minutes later, she finally ushered the indignant, furious solicitor out the door, his hair still covered with streaks of owl waste, thousand-dollar suit wrinkled, and scratching furiously at his groin.

"I'll be back soon, Miss Snape. You watch out!" he warned as he attempted to stride down the path with his usual pompousness.

Lia chuckled and turned to Tatiana.

"Is that a reply from Dumbledore?"

Tatiana hooted serenely. Lia unrolled long piece of parchment and read:

_Dear Miss Snape,_

_I send my deepest condolences for your mother's death. Camilla Rosebury had been a remarkable girl during her school days and I have no doubt she grew up to be an extremely remarkable woman. I am, however, delighted to hear from you. Your father is currently the Potions Master at Hogwarts. I have not ever heard him mention a daughter, so my guess is that he has no clue of your existence. I will come back to this later._

_You have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please owl back with the list of subjects you wish to study at N.E.W.T. level. Also, at ten sharp on August 31st, this parchment will turn into a portkey taking you to the Leaky Cauldron, where you can spend the night. The Leaky Cauldron leads to Diagon Alley, where you buy your school supplies. It may be wise to have your wand examined by Mr. Ollivander first. The Hogwarts Express leaves King Cross on September 1st. Please be at Platform 9 and three quarters at least ten minutes before 11 (which is when the train leaves). You will be Sorted when you arrive. _

_Now back to the subject of your father. Would you like to meet him sometime during the summer holidays? Or would you like to give him the surprise of his life when I say your name at the Sorting? It is completely up to you, but I have a sneaking suspicion of which one the daughter of Camilla Rosebury would pick. _

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Lia grinned both in mischief and admiration. The man didn't miss anything, did he? Still grinning, she sent off her reply. What she didn't tell him was that she'd inherited from her mother the ability to perform Gypsy spells, Parseltongue from her father's side, and very special Pyromantic abilities of her own.

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A/N: Lia's abilities explained

**Parseltongue:** this is simple - the ability to converse with snakes )

**Gypsy magic:** Yes, the magical world does contain Gypsies. However, most of them choose to live in communities separate from the rest of the wizarding world. The few who venture out of those communities to attend schools (such as Lia's mother) are usually more powerful than your average witch or wizard.  
**Gypsy characteristics:** All Gypsies are attractive, but in varying levels. Curly brown or black hair is most common, although some have been known to have wavy hair. No Gypsy has straight hair. The single most defining characteristic of Gypsies is definitely their extraordinary blue eyes, which have been described as "devastating" or "stunning" or "heart-melting." Indeed, many Gypsy women have been known to seduce Muggle men just by looking at them, although wizards are less susceptible to this charm. Unlike Veela, however, Gypsies cannot simply "turn on the charm." Gypsy blue eyes is a dominant trait; the trait is only subdued when the child has less than a quarter Gypsy blood, but if a wizarding couple, both of whom have some Gypsy blood and normal blue eyes, have a child, then the trait may be expressed once more.  
**Gypsy personalities:** Gypsies are an outgoing, bubbly, have fun group. There are no known introverted or shy Gypsies. Some may be quieter than others, but they all have a genetic sense of fun in them. Gypsies are clever when it comes to manipulating people, and many Muggles and wizards have been outsmarted when buying Gypsy wares.  
**Special Gypsy powers:** 1) Divination – all Gypsies are natural Seers. They have a special affinity for crystal divination; 2) Persuasion – Gypsies can use this power to coax others to act a certain way. However, this power is not coercive and people still have a choice to do what they want – they just feel more inclined to do it the Gypsy's way; 3) Intuition – Gypsies are legendary for their abilities to sense danger or evil intent. Although they cannot pinpoint the source, they can sense when something is definitely out-of-sorts; 4) Singing magic – Gypsies have beautiful voices. Their singing is used to communicate with animals and anything from nature; 5) Dancing magic – Unlike wizards, Gypsies don't always need wands to cast spells. Each spell has a particular pattern, and Gypsies dance that pattern to perform the spell; 6) Elemental magic – a Gypsy can control one of the many elements. Lia's special element is fire, which I listed under Pyromancy, since the ability isn't shared by all Gypsies. Some forms of elemental magic are: pyromancy, geomancy, aeromancy, and hydromancy.

**Pyromancy:** the ability to manipulate fire. Pyromancers control all forms of fire and some can perform destructive/defensive fire magic.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything (except my fave Lia )**

A/N: Info on Lia's abilities are now posted in the author notes at the end of chapter one!

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Chapter 2

The first of September after Voldemort's defeat proved to be a cheerful, sunny day. Platform 9 and three quarters teemed with the usual chaos of disgruntled hooting, grumpy yowling, and students promising their parents to behave and not receive any detentions from Professor Snape. However, several glances were spared for the tall, seventeen-year-old stranger who appeared alone. She had thick waves of jet-black hair and very pale skin, but what drew the most notice were her eyes. They were a pure, dark blue that swept away many boys' hearts. Many people noted that she resembled someone they knew, but they couldn't exactly put their fingers on whom.

Lia Snape surveyed the scene before her with mounting excitement. Most of her American friends were very apprehensive about her meeting "those odd British-type people", but not Lia. She viewed it as a new adventure.

"Ron? Ronald!" came an impatient sigh.

Lia looked up and saw a redheaded, freckled boy her age, staring at her with his mouth slightly open.

"Oh, Ron!"

The source of the impatient voice came to view as a girl with very bushy brown hair.

"Ron, we have _five minutes_ before the Hogwarts Express leaves and your trunk is still on the floor back there! Honestly, do you wish to miss the train again?"

With no reply from the redheaded boy, the bushy-haired girl whirled around and took in Lia. Her eyes narrowed immediately.

"Who're you?" she demanded, suspiciously.

"I'm a new student," Lia returned, smoothly. "Is it customary in England to greet new students with a certain degree of hostility?"

The girl flushed to the roots of her bushy hair.

"You are _obviously_ new around here," she sniffed. "I'm Hermione Granger, Head Girl of Hogwarts."

She jabbed emphatically at a badge attached to the front of her robes.

"Really, and here I thought you were just wearing your initials. Easily forgettable, are you?" Lia smirked.

She didn't normally start out in a new place with her snarky ways, but something about this know-it-all Hermione Granger girl set her off.

"You two, what's wrong? Why are you still standing here?" another boy joined their group.

"Just…having a nice little _chat _with this new _girl_," Hermione's dangerously calm tone betrayed her indignation immediately.

The newest addition to their group spared Lia a glance and for some reason, looked extremely amused.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter," he said to Lia. "This is Hermione Granger, as I'm pretty sure you know, and this is Ron Weasley, her boyfriend. Where are you from?"

Lia blinked at the boy for a moment. Even though she lived in America, she'd heard numerous stories about the famous Boy-Who-Lived from her mother. _So this is famous Harry Potter, _she mused to herself. _He definitely looks like a normal boy to me. Pretty cute, too._

"I'm from America," she replied just as the train tooted a warning whistle.

Hermione whirled and tugged at the boys' arms with a bit more force than usual so that they were dragged away from Lia.

"Come on, you two, we don't want to miss the train!"

Harry turned his head back slightly and called to Lia, "Come share a compartment with us!"

Lia hurried forward in time to hear Hermione hiss, "What are you doing, Harry? She could be some Dark witch from America out to get you for Voldemort's downfall!"

"I assure you I have no intention of turning to the Dark," Lia informed her silkily as they slid in an empty compartment at the very end of the train. "In any case, that sounded very much like a fabricated story to not sit with me."

"Well we can never be too careful, can we?" Hermione retorted, huffily, flushing slightly at Lia's observation.

She flounced down in the furthest corner, pulled out a very advanced-looking Transfiguration textbook, and covered her face without further ado.

"So," Harry began, his tone still amused. "You never told us your name."

Lia raised her eyebrows. If her father really was the Potions Master of Hogwarts, these three would obviously know who he was. Keeping one eye on the huffy witch in the corner, Lia replied, airily,

"Oh, right. My full name…well, no one really calls me by my full name, everyone calls me Lia…"

"Your full name?" Harry prompted her.

"Cornelia Rosebury Snape," Lia drawled, slowly.

Hermione dropped her Transfiguration textbook with a very loud clunk! Lia smirked to herself as the bushy-haired witch straightened her back and eyed Lia, shocked. Ron, on the other hand, finally seemed to have recovered from his trance.

"Snape?" he repeated, incredulously, horror filling his face. "You're not…you're not related to…you know, _Snape_, are you?"

"I'm Severus Snape's daughter, if that's what you mean," Lia told him, nonchalantly.

She laughed silently as she garnered their reactions. This really was too amusing. Hermione seemed to have forgotten about the state of her Transfiguration book completely as she gaped with an open mouth. Harry's green eyes had a slightly wary gleam to them as he scrutinized Lia with both distrust and disbelief. Ron had gone furiously red around the ears and he was staring at Lia with something akin to pure terror, as though she had turned into an Acromantula.

"Well, if it isn't the Golden Trio," a sneering voice interrupted the astonished silence. "With a new addition to their group! I'm shocked; who would be crazy enough to sink as low as to sit with Potty, the Weasel, and the Mudblood?"

Lia turned to face an extremely blond boy with a thin face and cold grey eyes. He would have been quite good-looking if it wasn't for the sneer that graced his face.

"You British do know how to create an excellent first impression," she informed him, loftily.

The blond boy narrowed his eyes and started down at her for a moment. Lia faced those cold grey eyes without a flinch until he finally blinked and turned away.

"Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy," he purred, his voice suddenly as smooth as syrup. "I happen to be Head Boy this year. You appear to be new; I could show you around, if you like. You really don't want to make friends with…well, _some_ sorts of people."

He smirked at the trio.

"I'm Lia Snape, it's a real pleasure to meet you, Draco," Lia purred back, just as sweetly.

Malfoy's eyes widened.

"_Snape_?" he repeated.

"This reaction is really getting quite old," Lia yawned, feigning boredom. "You need to do better than that, darling."

Malfoy recovered quickly.

"Well, of course," he hastily amended. "Just a little surprised, that's all. Welcome to Hogwarts, Lia."

With that, he hurried down the corridor without even shutting their compartment door.

"Now, that's a first," Harry grinned. "Malfoy has never left us alone without plying each and every one of us with insults. Nice to have you in our compartment, Lia."

"I can't believe we're holding a decent conversation with _Snape's_ daughter," Ron grimaced.

The rest of the trip was quite uneventful. Ron and Harry began discussing Quidditch, which Lia quickly joined in as it was her favorite sport in America. She spent half her life on her broom ever since she could walk, and she especially enjoyed playing Chaser. Hermione just sniffed again and burrowed even deeper into her book. Just as it was getting dark, a pudgy, round-faced boy entered their compartment while tripping over his own feet.

"Oof! Whoops, sorry, guys," the boy grunted, blushing slightly. "You haven't seen Luna, have you?"

"Not yet. Come join us, Neville," Harry replied, patting an empty spot next to him.

"Sorry, I promised her I'd meet her on the train," the boy called Neville explained. "Gran let me visit her over summer holidays. We went hunting for Crumple-horned Snorckacks in France, but we couldn't run fast enough to catch them. Luna did say she saw a Bizzerbug flying, but I wasn't too sure."

Harry had a wide grin on his face now and Ron had a look as though he was trying very hard to hold all his organs back in his body.

"You haven't met the new girl, Neville," said Harry, gesturing towards Lia.

Neville looked at Lia and his jaw opened slightly.

"Oh, erm…hello," he stammered, blushing.

Lia felt a surge of companionship towards the pudgy boy at once.

"Hi, Neville, I'm Lia," she said, warmly, purposely leaving out her last name.

"Nice to meet you, Lia," said Neville, shyly. "I do hope you're Sorted into Gryffindor. I have to go find Luna now; see you all later!"

"Good thing you didn't tell him your last name," Ron declared as the compartment door swung shut once more. "Neville's _terrified_ of Snape. We fought boggarts in third year, and his turned to Snape!"

He and Harry chuckled at the memory while Lia smiled absently, imagining the scene.

"How did he turn Snape into something funny?" she asked, curiously.

"He forced Snape into his Gran's clothes," Ron went on, even more enthusiastically. "Long skirt, witch's hat with a vulture, complete with a handbag…"

He began miming Snape stumbling around in a long skirt as Lia started laughing. Ron appeared very pleased with himself and acted with even more exaggeration while Harry surveyed his best friend with a knowing grin.

"We're at Hogsmeade Station," Hermione interrupted, stiffly, shutting her Transfiguration book with an unnecessarily loud snap. "Come on, Ron, let's go."

Ron was bodily dragged across the threshold and was nearly out of sight as he yelled, "I'll chat more with you later, Lia. Do try to be Sorted into Gryffindor, will you?"

His yells faded. Lia turned to Harry, who was looking amused once more.

"You are certainly very prone to amusement, are you," Lia remarked, smirking slightly. "I do hope your defeat of the Dark Lord wasn't based on this particular emotion, or the Ministry would have been embarrassed beyond words indeed."

Harry threw his head back and laughed, heartily, his full tenor filling the corridor easily.

"Oh, Lia, you have the exact same way of speaking as your dad," he chuckled, nearly banging his head in the doorway of the train as a result. "I'm _very_ interested in his reaction once he's met you. Snarky git meets his match at last! And defeating Voldemort is a relief…which explains all the amusement, I suppose."

"Snarky git, eh?" Lia raised her eyebrows teasingly at Harry while they trudged into the cool night air. "I'll be sure to tell him _that_ tiny detail."

"Please don't!" Harry mock gasped and they fell over laughing again.

Once their laughter had subsided slightly, Harry beckoned to Lia, "Come on, I'll introduce you to Hagrid. He'll be taking you and the first years across the lake."

With that, Lia found herself in the care of an over-exuberant half-giant, who was so excited upon meeting "Professor Snape's l'il girl" that he knocked over a boat and dumped four tiny first-years into the lake.

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Severus Snape was feeling quite disgruntled. With the defeat of the Dark Lord, he finally expected to earn the DADA job at last. He could still remember striding impressively into the Headmaster's office, smirking so wide it could nearly be called a smile, and twirling his application in a Lockhart manner before setting it down in front of the Headmaster with flourish.

"Severus," Dumbledore had greeted him with twinkling eyes. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit?"

"Well, as I appear at the exact same time every year with the exact same inquiry, I doubt that question was necessary," Snape replied, snarkily.

Dumbledore's bright blue gaze twinkled even more merrily.

"Ah yes, I'd wanted to speak with you about that," he stated.

Snape settled himself down in a chair and crossed his arms, smugly awaiting the news that _he_ would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. No such news came.

"With Voldemort's demise, I feel that it's about time the wizarding community starts promoting open-mindedness towards all individuals," said Dumbledore, benignly. "Wouldn't you agree to that, Severus? None of this pureblood – Muggleborn nonsense and that half-breed prejudice."

"Of course, Headmaster," Snape bit out, impatiently.

Dumbledore twinkled mischievously.

"Well it's settled then," he declared, popping a lemon drop in his mouth and sucking absently. "I'm sure you can see why I've decided to offer the job to Remus Lupin once more."

Snape was so shell-shocked that he could only stare at Dumbledore for a few seconds.

"Something wrong, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, smiling slightly.

Snape recovered his wits and sprang up, swinging his robes out to their most dramatic. He didn't even bother to grace the question with an answer. With one final malevolent glare (which grew at Dumbledore's light chuckle), he swept from the room and stormed down the winding staircase.

Just the memory of that day was enough to make him scowl to his full potential at the trickling stream of students entering the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast. His look was so terrifying that several Hufflepuff second years squeaked and ran to the end of their table furthest from him. Remus Lupin, who was sitting next to him, noticed and chuckled.

"Still into your old ways, Severus?" he smiled.

"I have no clue what you are on about, Lupin," Snape snapped, irritably. "Do cease with your pointless questioning."

"Ah, there are Harry, Ron, and Hermione!" Lupin beamed, obviously not listening.

Snape whipped his head back and his eyebrows narrowed most threateningly as he gazed at the Golden Trio of Gryffindor. There was Potter, the brat who refused to die and hailed as hero of the wizarding world. Snape snorted. He was merely an arrogant boy who had an extremely high opinion of his miserable skills and relied on his two faithful sidekicks. Snape's eyes traveled to Weasley and glared when he noticed Weasley was scowling at him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for disrespect," Snape mouthed and smirked, satisfied, as Weasley flushed an indignant red and quickened his pace to the Gryffindor table.

He passed a critical eye over the Granger girl and snorted. Still the same bushy-haired know-it-all. One would think that the girl would start brushing up on her feminine charms after her seventeenth year after all.

"They do seem much more relaxed this year, don't they?" Lupin observed pleasantly.

"They have always been noisy dunderheads who can't tell the difference between owl pellets and Kneazle fur balls," Snape returned, irritably.

Lupin chuckled lightly as a hush silently descended upon the Great Hall. Snape turned towards Professor McGonagall as she strode in with the tottering first years at her heels. Snape eyed them with interest. It was always painfully easy to judge who would be placed in which house. There was a girl with blond braids and deep dimples who obviously hadn't gotten over her baby fat yet. Definite Hufflepuff material. A dark-haired boy was dropping frog spawn in her braids and grinning deviously, while another dark-haired boy scowled, puffed out his chest, and plucked them out. Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively.

"Abbott, Hailey!"

The girl with blond plaits inched forward nervously and sat, trembling, on the edge of the stool as the hat drooped below her eyes.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Snape smirked to himself. He had never yet been wrong.

"Braddock, Mark!"

The dark-haired boy swaggered forward, frog spawn still dangling between his fingers. The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Mark Braddock grinned deviously and stuffed the rest of his frog spawn into the Sorting Hat's mouth.

"You'll have to watch out for that one," Lupin murmured with a frown as the Sorting Hat started choking and Professor McGonagall had to tip a tumbler of firewhisky in its mouth.

"There is no need to mandate how I run my house, Lupin," Snape hissed.

"You're not still mad about losing out on the Dark Arts job, are you?" Lupin frowned suddenly. "You're the best Potions Master there is in Europe who would work as a teacher."

"Do stop plying me with empty praises, Lupin," Snape snorted, irritably. "What I feel is none of your business."

Before Lupin could formulate a reply, the Sorting Hat shouted "RAVENCLAW!" to the last of the first years. Madam Pomfrey hurried forward and carried itaside with great care, while it coughed with great gusto every five steps.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said, beaming brightly. "Yes, this will be a fine year…a very fine year indeed! Now, before we dig in to our fabulous feast – courtesy of the house elves – I have one final announcement to make."

The chatter, which had risen in volume when the Sorting Hat was carried out, died down immediately. Wave upon wave of faces turned towards Dumbledore expectantly. Dumbledore twinkled at Severus for a split second before continuing,

"Hogwarts is playing host to a transfer student this year. She has spent her whole life at a private wizarding institution in the United States. However, due to certain circumstances, she has chosen to transfer to Hogwarts to acquaint herself with her father. May I welcome…Cornelia Rosebury Snape!"

Severus Snape choked on his pumpkin juice and dropped his goblet with a loud thunk!

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	3. Chapter 3: Sorting

**Disclaimer: Everything is J.K.'s**

A/N: Check the author's note at the bottom of chapter 1 for my update on Lia's special abilities

Thanks to all reviewers!

**ScienceGeek101**: Haha yes, damn cliffhangers indeed…unless you're the author of course winks

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Chapter 3

The journey across the lake was quite eventful, to say the least. After Hagrid knocked the four first years into the lake, the rest of the bunch were much too scared to approach the half-giant, let alone sail across the dark, glittering lake with him. It wasn't until Lia demonstrated her prowess with the levitation charm (pulling the first years out of the lake) and made use of her Gypsy persuasion skills (much like the Veela charm in a different way) that they followed her meekly into the boats.

The evening air was still except the occasional splashing of water against the sides of the boats. Once, Lia thought she saw a giant tentacle lazily waving at them, but she didn't mention it for fear of scaring the first years again.

"Hogwarts, righ' there!" Hagrid called out.

Many of the first years oohed and aahed, their previous fears forgotten. Lia gazed up at the towering castle with its many turrets and towers. For a split second, her Gypsy senses picked up on something out-of-sorts, but the feeling faded as quickly as it came. Lia frowned. She made a mental note to ask Harry if Hogwarts had a particularly dark history.

"C'mon firs' years, jus' a l'il climb left," called Hagrid encouragingly as they clambered out of the boats into a dark passageway that was obviously under the castle somewhere.

They trudged slowly up the passageway until they were greeted with the great oak front doors of Hogwarts Castle. Hagrid raised a fist the size of a large rock and knocked sharply on the doors. They creaked slowly open and a stern-looking witch with square glasses gazed out at them, her lips pressed in a thin line.

"You're late, Hagrid," she said in clipped tones.

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall. Ran into a bit o' trouble at the lake, see…" explained Hagrid sheepishly.

Professor McGonagall gave Hagrid a particularly severe frown.

"Head on into the Great Hall, Hagrid," she said, curtly. "See that this doesn't happen again."

Hagrid managed to squeeze his massive form past Professor McGonagall. He waited till her back was directly to him, and gave Lia a tiny wave. Lia grinned back.

"Attention, please," said Professor McGonagall sharply. Heads snapped towards her immediately. "You will be Sorted into your Houses before the feast begins. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin…"

Lia drifted off as Professor McGonagall led them to the doors of the Great Hall while explaining the Sorting in as concise a version as she could. Lia knew all about the Sorting, of course. She'd heard her mother's account of it at least a dozen times already. Her mother…Lia felt a lump rising in her throat at the thought. _Stop this! You're being ridiculous…stop thinking of her right now,_ she scolded herself.

"Miss Snape," Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through Lia's thoughts.

"Yes, Professor?"

"You will stay out here in the meantime. The Headmaster wants to announce your presence publicly."

Lia couldn't stop the wicked grin that spread across her face.

"Is something wrong, Miss Snape?" Professor McGonagall frowned. "The Headmaster gave me the impression that you are aware of this situation."

"Everything's fine, Professor," Lia said quickly.

Professor McGonagall gave her a final piercing stare before leading the first years into the Great Hall. Lia caught a glimpse of a beautiful dining hall with numerous floating candles and a starry, twinkling ceiling before the door shut and blocked her view. She heard the faint slivers of the Sorting Hat's song floating through the gap between the doors. Just as she was about to convince the doors to become permeable to sound with her Gypsy singing ability, strong hands wrapped themselves around her waist and whirled her around.

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"Daughter of Gypsies, what are you doing here?"

Lia gaped at the face of her captor in surprise. He had an extremely handsome face with deep azure eyes, as well as the gleaming, palomino body of a horse.

"Son of Stars, I greet you," said Lia, awed.

She couldn't believe she was meeting a centaur in the castle. She'd heard stories about them from her mother of course, who had spent half her time at Hogwarts chasing after the centaurs in the forest. Gypsies and centaurs were natural allies and there were many residential centaurs in the community where her mother had grown up. She couldn't remember centaurs ever living at school though.

"I am Firenze, divination teacher along with Professor Trelawney," said the centaur. "Daughter of Gypsies, this world is not safe for you these days."

"I am not leaving until I discover the truth," said Lia quietly.

Firenze gazed at her with a slightly mournful air.

"Daughter of Gypsies, the dark forces are gaining power once more. The stars have foretold a new dark rising and the signs are now clearer than ever. Return home, before you are hurt."

"I have my own mission to conduct in this castle," replied Lia even more quietly.

The centaur stomped his hooves and snorted nervously.

"Daughter of Gypsies, I am deadly serious! Normally I am not allowed to share our secrets with two-leggers, but this new darkness is heading straight towards you!"

There was a stunned silence. For once in her life, Lia found herself speechless. A new dark force coming for her? Could this have anything to do with her mother's murder? Lia opened her mouth to voice the million questions whirling through her head. Unfortunately, the doors of the Great Hall chose that moment to swing open and a sea of faces glanced towards her with avid curiosity.

"Go," said the centaur, quietly. "We'll talk some other time."

He trotted away, his hooves resounding in the vast emptiness of the Entrance Hall. Lia scowled slightly at his back before schooling her features into smooth neutrality and striding into the Great Hall with an air of confidence. Every face from each of the four House tables turned in her direction eagerly, curious as to the looks of the daughter of the "greasy git." Some of the younger students looked frightened, some admiring, some envious, and in the case of Hermione Granger, extremely hostile. Lia looked towards the head table and her heart gave a funny lurch. That was _him_. Her father, who she had only seen in wedding pictures. At the moment, he was wearing a ferocious glare and appeared to have pumpkin juice splatters all over his robes. The thin man with a kind face and graying hair next to him was patting him genially on the back. Lia couldn't hold back a tiny smirk. It appeared he was quite…surprised…by her appearance after all.

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Snape spent an amazing minute trying to cough up the last of the pumpkin juice while bestowing Dumbledore with his heaviest scowl. Apparently, it was hard to intimidate someone when one is in the fits of choking, as Dumbledore merely smiled innocently. Even worse, all attention had turned towards him and a few (especially those Gryffindors) were openly sniggering at his predicament. Snape gritted his teeth and mentally promised to reduce Gryffindor to negative points within the week and to send Dumbledore Canary Creams disguised as lemon drops.

"Damn…Dumbledore," Snape growled finally as an amused Lupin reached over to pat him on the back. "No warning whatsoever! That old meddler…"

Thankfully for Snape, the doors of the Great Hall creaked open and the sniggering faces turned towards the entrance in expectant unison. Against his will, Snape ceased his death scowl in favor of his own curiosity. He sincerely hoped the prevalence of the Snape nose skipped this generation. A tall, slim girl stepped confidently into sight. She was quite pretty, with wavy black hair and those stunning blue eyes, although by Gypsy standards she was merely average. Snape noted with relief that she took after her mother in looks, though her carriage, her walk, and her expression were clearly Snape. The girl's eyes zeroed in on him and seemed to sharpen almost immediately. Her gaze traveled over him and to Snape's extreme discomfort, she smirked slightly.

"The Sorting Hat, Miss Snape," said Dumbledore politely.

"Yes sir," said the girl smoothly.

Snape clenched his fists and watched with bated breath as his daughter slipped on the Sorting Hat and sat on the stool with an air of indifference.

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Truth was, Lia felt anything _but_ indifferent. From what she heard, this hat could actually see inside her head and sense her thoughts and feelings. Lia felt slightly apprehensive about this breach of privacy. Her father was, of course, a Slytherin, but her mother had been a Gryffindor. Lia smirked as she thought of how her father would react if she was placed with the rest of the "bloody foolish dunderheads."

"Oh dear, you are a difficult one indeed," said a tiny voice, making her jump slightly. "Daughter of Camilla and Severus! Well, you are definitely a clever one…you would do nicely in Ravenclaw…you would be amongst the top in that house…although you have unshakable loyalty when it comes to your closest friends…Hufflepuff would be another choice…"

"Dear me, the Sorting Hat has clearly lost both its touch and its mind," whispered Lia indignantly.

"There, there, calm down," said the hat soothingly. "Let's see what else is in your head…oh my, what extreme sneakiness and cunning! Just like your father, you are! Oh yes, you'd do very well in Slytherin…very, very well…you'd be able to navigate the politics of the house and come out on top! Although…ahhh, what's this I find? Willingness to do anything to protect the ones you love…willing to fight to the end for them…this is what motivated you to come, am I correct? Well, it's as Gryffindor a trait as there ever was. Of course, you would do best in Slytherin…but as you chose to come here for that particular reason…and choices are really the determining factor…guess it had better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Before Lia could even lift the hat from her head, she heard the telltale crash of a goblet breaking.

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A/N: Next chapter – Snape and his daughter finally have a little chat!


	4. Chapter 4: Father and Daughter

**Disclaimer: Everything is J.K.'s**

A/N: oh dear, Snape's own daughter is a Gryffindor! Poor guy, I almost feel sorry for him. Let's see how their first interaction goes!

Thanks to all my reviewers: Poisonchik88, Seve-Suzie, journeyforever, otaku3kagome, ScienceGeek101! You guys are wonderful ego boosters P

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Chapter 4

Severus Snape was still fuming. His own daughter, a bloody _Gryffindor_! What had the world come to? True, she had been brought up by a Gryffindor through and through, but judging by her expressions and behavior, she would have been well suited for Slytherin. Now she was also under the jurisdiction of Minerva McGonagall. He scowled and stabbed moodily at his steak.

"Now, now, Severus," began Dumbledore, chortling slightly. "It's not the end of the world. It's about time you got along with your rival house. You might even start understanding Harry Potter…your daughter seems quite close to him."

Snape let out a menacing growl.

"I do _not_ wish to 'understand' the adolescent brain of Harry bloody Potter," he retorted almost sulkily. "Merlin knows I'd be unable to brew my most basic potions correctly for a week from the trauma."

"Severus!" said Professor McGonagall reprovingly from her seat on the other side of Dumbledore.

"Your precious hero does tend to have that effect on potion brewers, did you not know?" Snape went on. "It is no wonder his potions ability is so lamentable."

"May I remind you, Severus," Dumbledore cut in loudly before an irate Professor McGonagall could vent her piece, "that you are currently conversing with the head of your daughter's house?"

Snape forcibly restrained his tongue. He couldn't look at her satisfied expression without wanting to make some acerbic comment (such as the fact that tartan robes, no matter how dressy, have been out of fashion since Merlin last walked the earth), so he had to be content with glaring at the student population in general. His eyes landed involuntarily on his daughter. She was chatting incessantly with the twittering Gryffindors around her. Potter and his ever-faithful sidekick Weasley appeared to be quite taken with her. Snape sneered. His daughter may be a Gryffindor, but she would _not_ be friends with the likes of Potter and Weasley, he would make sure of that!

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Lia was surprised to find herself enjoying the feast immensely. After everyone had gotten over their initial shock of Severus Snape's daughter being placed in Gryffindor (punctuated by her father's goblet crashing and Neville fainting into his plate), the house welcomed her quite enthusiastically, especially the seventh years. She had chosen a seat between Harry and Seamus Finnegan. Unfortunately, this also meant she ended up across from Hermione Granger, who hadn't said a word the entire meal and spent half the time glaring daggers at her. Lia still couldn't figure out what she had done to tick the other girl off, but she didn't care anyway.

"…so Dad had to spend an entire afternoon trying to keep Mum away from our rooms!" Ron finished amid gales of laughter, after a particularly entertaining, not to mention racy, story about the latest escapades of his twin brothers' joke shop.

"I can't figure out why you even _bothered_ trying it anyway," Hermione suddenly put in, tartly.

Ron turned to her in utter disbelief.

"Aw, 'Mione, you honestly don't understand us guys' egos," he protested.

"I think what Hermione's hinting is that she's quite satisfied with what you have," Lia smirked.

Those within earshot oohed as Hermione turned a blotchy red and Ron hastily shoved some roast duck in his mouth.

"What's wrong with that?" Hermione hissed belligerently.

"Oh, nothing," said Lia, airily, purposely using an I-won't-tell-you tone that she knew would raise the other girl's temper.

Sure enough, Hermione opened her mouth in anger, but Harry cut in at that moment.

"So Lia, what brings you to Hogwarts?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, do tell," Hermione bit out, nastily. "Running away from a boyfriend? Or maybe _boyfriends_?" She arched her brow as she emphasized the plural.

"Jealous, darling?" Lia drawled slowly, though she was seething inside. "You should have learned by now that pretty girls are never lonely…unlike bushy-haired know-it-alls."

Hermione looked outraged.

"Stop it, you two," said Harry firmly. "Lia?"

"Oh, we all thought it would be nice if I visited my father for a while," said Lia vaguely.

Her answer appeared to satisfy the boys, who all went back to devouring their meals. Hermione Granger, however, narrowed her eyes.

"Who's 'we'?" she demanded.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Watch your tone when you speak to my daughter," came a silky voice.

Lia and the rest of the seventh years glanced up to see her father towering menacingly above them while glowering. His cold eyes traveled down the table and his thin lips curved upward in a nasty sneer.

"Weasley, I can see that seventeen years of life has failed to teach you the basics of table manners. Perhaps you should remind your mother of her failure the next time you return to that hovel you call a home. Twenty points from Gryffindor for thinking swear words at me. I do believe you've heard the Muggle saying 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'? Finnegan do resume your meal. I don't see how my conversation with Weasley has anything to do with you. Longbottom, stop mixing your food. We already know you can cause disaster with the simplest potion; there is no need to explode your meal to prove it." He smirked as Neville blushed and dropped his fork, and added, "Oh dear, that's another ten points from Gryffindor for not treating utensils with respect. Potter, your glare astounds me in its lack of ability to induce fear. Now, not another peep from any of you, or it'll be fifty points from Gryffindor."

He glared particularly ferociously. The Gryffindors ducked their head, except Neville, who was practically cowering under the table, and Lia, who was extremely amused.

Snape finally turned his attention to Lia, "Cornelia, I require your presence after the meal. The headmaster will take you down to my private quarters, is that clear?"

Lia merely arched an eyebrow at him. Snape shifted his feet and scowled.

"I asked you if my instructions were clear," he snapped, irritably. "Answer me!"

"You threaten to take fifty points from Gryffindor if we utter a sound. Yet, you want me to answer your question," said Lia, lazily. "Do stop contradicting yourself."

Snape clenched his fists and appeared to be making a valiant effort to contain his temper.

"Cornelia, you will answer me whenever I ask you a question," he ground out.

"Yes, I'm clear," said Lia.

"I'm clear, _sir_," Snape prompted.

"I'm clear, _Dad_," smirked Lia, tilting her chin at him defiantly as Neville squeaked in horror.

Snape closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. Suddenly realizing his show of weakness in front of a table of Gryffindors, his eyes snapped open and he scowled with full force.

"We will discuss this later, Cornelia," he snapped and strode off, robes billowing impressively.

Lia chewed thoughtfully as she gazed at the poker-straight back of her father. Her mother had described Severus Snape as an extremely introverted man whose surly, snarling demeanor was in reality a façade that hid a good man in heart. Pondering over their conversation earlier, however, Lia couldn't help but agree with the Gryffindors that Snape was a "nasty bastard" indeed, whose sole joy in life was to take points from their house.

"Bloody hell, Lia," croaked Ron, looking pale but extremely impressed. "You just put Snape down! You must be mad."

"I think you're brave," piped up Colin Creevey.

The result of Colin's comment was that Lia suddenly found herself surrounded by admiring glances and an inordinate amount of attention. She brushed off the compliments in an airy, bored manner, but her sharp eyes made note of Hermione's furious red face. To the other Gryffindors, Lia Snape was merely used to being in the spotlight; yet, Lia was truly the daughter of the master of disguises. She had seen the burning look in Hermione's eyes and knew only too well what it meant: war.

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After thoroughly enjoying the boys' ice cream competition (punctuated by occasional sniffs from Hermione), Lia strode confidently towards the headmaster, who was cutting stars in his apple pie. As she neared the head table, many of their professors ceased their meals to eye her out of the corners of their eyes. Lia noticed that most looked extremely curious, although Professor McGonagall was wearing an expression surprisingly similar to Hermione's.

"Headmaster, may I be shown to my father's private quarters?" asked Lia boldly, ignoring the other professors.

"The headmaster has not finished his meal," Professor McGonagall cut in, stiffly. "And you are to address him as Professor Dumbledore, Professor, or simply sir."

"I will address him as I see fit…_ma'am_," answered Lia smoothly.

Dumbledore's blue eyes zoomed sharply towards Lia's face, then the corners of his mouth relaxed into a tiny smile. Professor McGonagall's lips thinned considerably.

"Do remember who you are currently addressing, Miss Snape," she said in a voice that could chip ice. "When you are in _my_ house, you follow my rules. The same goes for students of other houses. I will inform you right now, young lady, that I will _not_ tolerate any smart talk from you!"

"You forget that no matter the situation, my father has the final word in all matters relating to his daughter," said Lia, her smooth demeanor never wavering.

"Ah, how extraordinarily like young Severus you are!" beamed Dumbledore brightly. "He too was extremely eloquent. Come now, Lia, I'll lead you to his private quarters."

"But Albus…" began Professor McGonagall.

"Now, Minerva, have you tried the apple pie? Quite excellent, if I do say so myself – the recipe was provided for by my grandmother years ago. Do try a slice, Minerva. If you find it too bland-looking, as I do, I daresay you may try some of the stars on my plate? But do leave a few for me when I return after escorting Miss Snape."

Smiling to himself, Dumbledore eased his plate in front of Professor McGonagall in a manner that brooked no argument. She had no choice but to flounce her head in a very miffed, cat-like way and dig her fork through the stars savagely. Lia took advantage of the moment to try to silently convince Professor McGonagall's chair to dump her unceremoniously on the floor.

"Don't dawdle, Lia, I think it's a good idea if we go now," said Dumbledore. He looked absent-minded, but a gleam in his eye told Lia that he knew only too well what she was trying to do.

"Yes, sir," said Lia, feeling uncharacteristically guilty.

They walked out the Great Hall and Dumbledore led Lia down a flight of stairs that led to the dungeons. The change in atmosphere was instantaneous. It was even in the walls. The walls of the entrance were warm, soft-tempered, and soothing; they had a motherly feel. These walls, however, were wary and distant. Lia sensed that some of the stones were even downright hostile to this newcomer to the dungeons. _Go away_, she heard them hissing.

"Headmaster…sir…" Lia trailed off.

Dumbledore directed his bright blue gaze to Lia and she felt as if he could understand everything she was dying to ask.

"The dungeons have a dark history, Miss Snape," he said quietly. "Yet, you must remember that nothing is what it seems. A wise Muggle man once wrote that 'fair is foul and foul is fair.'"

Lia shivered slightly. Dumbledore reached the end of the stone hallway and caressed a section of the wall lightly. Like smoke, it melted away and revealed a steep, slippery staircase winding down in tight circles into darkness.

"This is where my father lives?" said Lia incredulously.

Dumbledore looked at Lia patiently.

"Right, nothing is what it seems," Lia muttered.

Dumbledore smiled slightly and stepped towards the first stair. No sooner had he taken the first step than the entire surrounding began to change. Lia observed in awe as the dank walls morphed into dry stone punctuated by torches of silver and green fire. The winding staircase vanished and was replaced instead by a tasteful hallway with hanging tapestries of medieval farmlands. At the very end of the hall stood an elegant door of dark wood with silver and green stained glass around the edges. The doorknobs were in the shape of silver snakes that hissed at Lia a few times, but calmed down when Dumbledore laid his hands on them.

"Daughter of the head of Slytherin," he said.

The snakes gave a startled hiss, then started bowing their heads to Lia in apology.

"Quarters most worthy of Slytherin," said Dumbledore, admiringly. "Now, the vanishing stone wall can only be activated by one who knows the destination. However, the scene with the winding staircase can only be altered by loved ones, which is why no other students or staff can enter Severus's private quarters. Yes indeed, very powerful, love…"

Dumbledore's voice trailed off and his eyes took on an absent look.

"Headmaster? Shall I knock?" asked Lia.

Dumbledore gave a tiny start.

"No, no, just twist the snakes around their bodies a bit…that's it," he said as Lia twisted the knob and entered her father's chambers alone.

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Lia's first thought was that her father's rooms were a strong indication of his personality. The color scheme was a tasteful forest green and brown; gleaming wooden furniture was placed strategically around the room to enhance its elegance. Despite the aesthetically pleasing appearance, however, the room exuded a feeling of distance and formality. Lia couldn't decipher any feelings of warmth and home, and she definitely couldn't crack the personality of the inhabitant, who was obviously private to the point of paranoia.

"Dad," called Lia.

There was a slight shuffling sound from the next room, the sound of a drawer banging shut, and her father stepped out from the darkness.

"Cornelia," he acknowledged her stiffly. "Sit down."

"What were you looking at before I came?" asked Lia curiously.

"Nothing that pertains to you," snapped Snape. "I believe I asked you to sit."

"Contrary to popular belief, you _ordered_ me to sit," Lia countered waspishly.

Father and daughter glared appraisingly at each other. Snape's black eyes bored painfully into her blue ones and the look on his face was enough to make any student scurry for cover. Lia met him stubbornly gaze for gaze. Finally, Snape sighed wearily and swept a lock of greasy hair back from his face.

"I have neither the time nor the patience for this. Please sit down; the sooner this is over and done with, the better for me," he sneered, lowering himself carefully into an armchair.

Lia sank into the identical armchair across from him. It was extremely plush and gave off the scent of spicy herbs. The leatherwork was intricate; the leather itself surprisingly soft. Lia was surprised to feel herself enveloped by reassurance. Her attention returned to her father, who was now staring at her with a contemplative frown.

"What should we begin our discussion with?" asked Lia politely.

Snape gave a start and scowled.

"Stop interrupting my thinking!" he snapped. "Must you feel the need to fill the silence with your inane chatter?"

"Does my sorting into Gryffindor have anything to do with your tone?" said Lia coolly. "If it does, then we might as well have this conversation over with and not have anything to do with each other ever again."

Snape's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly against the armrest, but he relaxed them quickly before Lia could determine the cause.

"I wanted to discuss the question of your courses," he began. "I have signed you up for five classes at NEWT level – Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions."

"I would like to drop Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions, and add Divination," said Lia.

Snape raised his eyebrow.

"Drop Potions?" he repeated incredulously. "Cornelia, might I remind you that you are the daughter of the Potions Master of this school? I want you in my class and you will attend every single one of my classes."

"Well, how cocky can we get?" challenged Lia.

Snape's lips thinned but he continued, "My decisions are final when they relate to you. I would also like to know what in the world possessed your mother to send you to Hogwarts. I have half a mind to owl her right now and send you home."

Lia felt a tiny stab of hurt. So her father had never wanted her at all. That was the impression she felt when she was a little girl, but she had refused point-blank to accept it, and her child's mind imagined excuses for his absence. However, it seemed there was no other explanation for his behavior. He even had the nerve to refer to her mother in that nonchalant manner. Lia felt her control slipping and she hardened her heart.

"You have no idea, do you?" she sneered in a deadly whisper. "Mom was _murdered_, you greasy git. Of course no one let you in on that tiny detail…obviously, someone who _abandoned_ her wouldn't give two hoots about whether or not she's _alive_. The only reason I'm here is because her will states so. Merlin knows if I had the choice, I wouldn't be anywhere near my arrogant bastard of a father."

Snape's face had turned deathly pale at the mention of Camilla Rosebury's murder; his new surge of fury at Lia's words turned parts of his face an unattractive, blotchy purple, like chunks of eggplant on a plate. Lia stood up stiffly.

"I assure you, Dad, I am having the last word here," she bit out with venom. "I will get to the end of Mom's murder and if, as I suspect, you are behind this, I will make you scream like you have never screamed."

"You have no idea how many times I have screamed with pain from my entire heart and soul," Snape whispered hoarsely as Lia flounced towards the door.

"Heart and soul?" Lia sniffed, turning back for a final glare. "You have no heart and you don't deserve a soul."

Snape looked hurt for a moment. Then he closed his expression quickly so that it resumed its usual coldness.

"You will attend all the classes I have signed you up for. However, I will take the liberty of adding _Divination_ to your schedule," the last part was punctuated with derision.

"Good. I see that someone has pounded some sense into your dunderheaded brain," drawled Lia sweetly, though she was still fuming inside. "Good night, Daddy dearest."

For a moment, Snape stared incredulously at the mocking door that closed behind his daughter. Never, ever had he been so humiliated and put down, and by his daughter nonetheless! With an incomprehensible bellow of rage, he seized a random goblet from the table and flung it violently against the door.

"Bloody hell!" he roared above the shatter of the goblet.

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A/N: Argh, not my best chapter so far, but I was in a rush. I'm trying to go for greater length and detail in each chapter so each update might take a while!

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" – ah yes, central theme of "Macbeth" by Shakespeare (which we happen to be studying in English class)

Next chapter: First week of classes and Lia receives some interesting news…


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